More specifically, the present invention refers to a protection device for disc brakes in velocipedes of the bicycle type (racing bikes, mountain bikes, city bikes, electrical pedal assisted bikes, and the like) as well as small motorcycles or equivalent light vehicles equipped with disc braking systems.
It is known that a disc brake is a mechanical device suitable for slowing down and/or stopping the rotation of a wheel and consequently of the vehicle that it is rotatably constrained to.
Such device typically comprises a disc coaxially secured to the wheel and co-operating with a so-called “caliper” secured to the frame of the bike and, more specifically, to its respective fork.
The caliper is provided with a pair of pads made from a material suitable for generating friction onto the opposite surfaces of the disc, called “brake tracks”.
The caliper is activated by the operation of appropriate levers, located on the handlebars of the velocipede, which control a mechanical or hydraulic system.
In a mechanical system, the caliper is controlled through the tensioning of a metal wire, whereas in a hydraulic system the caliper is controlled by a pressure generated in an oil-pressure circuit.
The discs of bikes, typically coaxially secured to the hub of the wheel, feature a diameter generally ranging from 120 to 180 mm (such values are typical to city bikes, whereas the discs of mountain bikes have basically greater diameters) with a thickness basically ranging from 1.8 to 2.0 mm and include a plurality of openings or through-holes the function of which is to lighten the disc and improve the dissipation of the heat generated by the friction of the pads onto said disc during a braking.
However, a braking system based on discs as described above presents a number of major drawbacks.